THE WEEK AHEAD: March 8 - March 14: Art

By CAROL VOGEL

Published: March 8, 2009

Art

Carol Vogel

''In the 19th century the Japanese master Hokusai incorporated aspects of European art into the traditional Japanese visual style, creating a revolutionary new art, which was then avidly absorbed by European painters as a purely 'Japanese
art,' '' Joe Earle, director of the Japan Society Gallery, explained recently. ''Such give and take describes in part the dynamic nature of this new wave of art and popular culture as well.''

The ''new wave'' cited by Mr. Earle encompasses the animated cartoons (anime), comics, illustrated narratives (manga) and video games currently consuming the Japanese visual landscape. An exhibition at Japan Society called ''KRAZY!
THE DELIRIOUS WORLD OF ANIME + MANGA + VIDEO GAMES'' sets out to explore this phenomenon. For the show the Tokyo architectural firm Atelier Bow-Wow designed a series of spaces that evoke Tokyo's cityscape.
There will be simultaneous screenings of films and a ''Manga-Pod'' containing about 1,000 magazines along with drawings and related action figures. There will also be video games for visitors
to play.

All in all the show will include about 200 works of art, objects and pieces of ephemera. Seminal examples by six leading anime artists will be on view, as will work by eight manga artists, one sound artist and two video game designers. There will also
be a sound room where visitors can hear soundtracks that Yoko Kanno, the cult composer, arranger and musician, created for anime works like ''Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Ghost in the Shell.''
March 13 through June 14, Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, Manhattan, (212) 832-1155, japansociety.org.

DRAWING: Artwork by the manga artist Hisashi Eguchi from the Weekly Shonen Jump, featured in the ''Krazy!'' exhibition at the Japan Society Gallery. (DRAWING BY SHUEISHA)